‘Ms Setuke’s death was as a result of a criminal act…’- Aquarius

Information

Wednesday 29 January 2014 - 6:25pm

Q: Cynthia Setuke's family feels Aquarius should have done more to ensure her protection while on duty. They say she worked in a dark, secluded area, which left her vulnerable. How does Aquarius respond to this?

A: Aquarius takes the safety and security of all employees very seriously, and abides by regulation in this regard. The company engages with women employed at the mine directly in ways to address their safety and security. Specific safety measures are also in place for women in the workplace. It would be inappropriate to discuss such measures in the public domain.

Ms Setuke’s death was as a result of a criminal act for which an alleged perpetrator was arrested and charged. This is in the hands of the SAPS. The mine will continue to cooperate with the DMR and the SAPS in all investigations.

Q: 'NUM women’s affairs official Faith Letlala said Aquarius had acknowledged its fault for allowing Setuke to work alone in an isolated area.' The quote above is from an article in Business Report on Oct 22. Does Aquarius acknowledge that it should not have allowed Cynthia Setuke to work alone?

A: This is a comment made by the NUM and not by Aquarius. Refer to the comment above.

Q: Did Aquarius hand over CCTV footage to police to help with the investigation into her murder?

A: AQP does not have CCTV cameras in workplaces. However, on the day of the investigation video footage of the crime scene was taken by SAPS and AQP’s internal security dept. This footage is with SAPS.